Name: Great Lakes Brewpub Contact: 11 Lower Jarvis St., greatlakesbrewpub.com, @glb_brewpub Neighbourhood: East Bayfront Owner: Peter Bulut Chef: Alex Hernstein Accessibility: Fully accessible
The food
Great Lakes was the first brewery in Ontario to label its beer with packaged-on dates. “Beer is like bread,” says brewer Nick Perry. “The fresher it is, the better it tastes.” It makes sense, then, that the new brewpub’s food would reflect this ethos.
Driven by the Ontario growing calendar, seasonality is on full display throughout a changing menu that makes heavy use of local meat, produce and even flour. House-made preserves, pickles and infusions add even more flavour. The pizza—a hybrid between Detroit and New York square style—is a specialty. Think puffy, focaccia-like crust with a delightful tang adorned with quality toppings and a golden cheese crown. The tight menu also includes a smash burger made with beef from Tillsonburg’s YU Ranch, snackables (including seriously spicy pineapple habanero wings), salads and desserts.
GLB is known for its pale ales and IPAs, the most popular of which are the dry, refreshing Canuck pale ale and the hoppy, unfiltered Octopus Wants to Fight. While most of the beer is produced at GLB’s Etobicoke brewery, the brewpub makes a few of its own, including experimental ones you’ll only find here. Besides beer, there’s a citrusy vodka soda and a few cocktails made with GLB’s own London-style gin.
The space
The open, airy room has a retail space up front, a microbrewery in the back and seating options for everything from after-work pints at the bar to business meetings and cozy family dinners. A fun mural depicts familiar friends—like the flannel-wearing Canuck and the pugilistic cephalopod.